Power semiconductor devices including high-voltage integrated circuits (ICs) are currently being used in many applications. The high-voltage ICs that typically include high voltage metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistors are widely used in applications like automobile industry, display drivers, portable telecommunication devices and medical equipment.
A commonly used high-voltage MOS transistor for the high-voltage ICs is a laterally diffused MOS (LDMOS) transistor. The LDMOS transistor often possesses high breakdown voltage and thus can be utilized for these high-voltage applications. However, the higher the breakdown voltage of the LDMOS transistor typically scarifies the device performance.